Becoming a successful performer is a dream of many aspiring singers.

Breaking into the industry and finding singing jobs, however, can take a

combination of luck, talent and timing - it's much more complex than simply

deciding, I want to sing! Getting an early start and making an honest

assessment of your burgeoning skills can help you chart a path to success.

Start at a Young Age

Some people are born with a natural singing talent they simply need to

nurture and perfect; others have raw but malleable talent that needs to be

nurtured and developed over time. Regardless of where an individual falls in

this equation, cultivating this talent from a young age can yield best results.

 Join choirs and chorals as a youngster, either through school, church

or community centers.
 Take private singing lessons from a professional vocal coach.
 Attend choral camps during the summer and on school breaks.
 Practice scales at home.
 Study favorite artists and learn about their techniques.

Ask vocal coaches and singing instructors for honest feedback and

evaluation to ensure you have what it takes to be a singer and have the

potential to secure singing jobs.

Surround Yourself With the Best

 When you hire a professional to help you advance your singing skills, look for

someone who is a good fit:

 Look for a coach who encourages questions, helps you set goals and
establishes realistic expectations.
 Select a person whose musical abilities you respect - someone who is
well-respected as a singer in their own right is a good choice.
 Choose someone with whom you see ongoing progress, rather than
someone who just goes through the same steps over and over again.

Warning

If you're being directed to practice so much your voice, throat or vocal cords

hurt, your coach is not doing his or her job correctly.

Make an Honest Self Evaluation

You can conceivably enjoy singing without necessarily having the type of

talent or dedication necessary to forging a career as a paid entertainer.

Make an honest assessment of whether you have what it takes to make it in

this highly competitive professional arena:

Drive: Even the best singers have to subject themselves to tireless practice

to their craft, eventually recording demos, working with agents, going on

endless auditions and taking feedback and critique. It's not a career path for

the faint of heart, and requires a good deal of intestinal fortitude to make it.

Discipline: Cultivating a signing career takes a significant amount of

dedication to the craft. This includes working with vocal teachers, practicing
and learning how to care for the voice as an instrument. Successful singers

must be devoted and disciplined enough to commit to a rigorous training

schedule.

People skills: Singers and entertainers must have exceptional people skills,

as well as an ability to perform in front of crowds. Good interpersonal skills

are also important, especially when it comes to going on auditions, meeting

with music producers and working to sell yourself as a viable artist.

Patience: Building a career as a singer can take both time and hard work.

Having patience will go a long way in helping you achieve your objectives.

Aspiring singers must also be able to accept rejection and learn from

professional critiques. This takes a good deal of self awareness,

determination and a willingness to continually hone your craft.

Warning

It's critical to be honest with yourself about your abilities; to do otherwise

can potentially set you up for disappointment.

Know What You Want

While singing careers can have starts and stops and take a variety of

directions during the course of a career, when you're starting out, it's wise to
 have a general idea of what you ultimately want to do so you can choose

your steps appropriately. There are numerous paths to pursue:

 Recording artist.
 Singer/song-writer.
 Musical theater. 
 Folk/indy singer.
 Band member.
 Soloist.
 Jingle writer/singer.

Every singing career path brings with it its own benefits and limitations,

earning potential and longevity.

Consider Where You'll Work

Singers work in all kinds of environments, from singing telegrams and

karaoke lounges to opera houses and sold out stadiums. Deciding what kind

of singer you want to be, and where you'd ultimately like to perform, can help

you set the stage for your early professional development. Keep in mind,

some types of singers, like touring performers, spend their careers living out

of suitcases and traveling the world; others, such as religious center worship

leaders and bar band entertainers, are able to maintain a more stationary

life.

Embrace a Musical Environment

 Some parts of the country are better known for their cultivation of musical

talent than others. While there are opportunities to be found everywhere,

some cities offer more opportunities than others. While relocation isn't an

option for everyone, there may be neighborhoods within cities known for

being music meccas that could provide an opportunity to immerse yourself

in a musical environment.

Get an Education

Musical education can help you learn about the origins of music, the science

behind musical performance and how to represent yourself as an artist.

Pursue an academic education at a school that has a reputation for its

music programs and can help you build your skills and perfect your craft.

Consider classes in the following:

 Music theory.
 Performance.
 Musical history.
 Fine arts.
 Performance art.

A formal education in music will help you further develop your skills, develop

your voice as an instrument, and provide practical advice on how to turn your

passion for singing into a viable career path and earn a singer salary. You'll

also make valuable connections and learn to be comfortable performing in

front of crowds. A formal education - particularly an advanced degree - can

 also set you up to teach various aspects of music and performance art if you

decide to take your singing career into an academic direction.

Tip

Ask an academic adviser to help you choose the best singing-related degree

path based on your personal objectives. Some music degrees set you up to

perform, others to teach, and still others to handle the business side of the

music industry.

Embrace Varied Opportunities

It's a rare performer who gets noticed humming in the grocery store and

goes immediately to a recording contract with a high singer salary and fame

and fortune. Most singers initially work in a variety of venues, large and

small, as solo performers, background singers and as part of duos or

groups. Other opportunities for gaining singing experience in front of a

crowd and getting yourself in front of audiences include:

 Participating in talent shows.

 Performing at music festivals.
 Volunteering as a singer for charitable or fundraising events.
 Taking advantage of open mic nights and amateur nights at various.
venues like coffee houses and pubs.

Aspiring singers can also gain experience and even start earning a singer

salary by performing with wedding and special events bands, performing for

private parties and self-producing CDs and selling them via online websites.
Tip

Don't be afraid to pay your dues. Working as a backup singer or performing

in small venues gives you experience and exposure, all of which can help you

launch a successful singing career.

Be the Whole Package

Many singers find that by cultivating a reputation for being well-rounded,

multi-talented performers, they're able to open up more doors for

themselves than singing alone would have afforded them. Being a singer

can also involve developing a compelling stage presence, learning dance

moves and choreography, and finding ways to connect with the audience.

Some singers also develop acting skills and perfect public speaking abilities.

Still others play instruments and compose their own music and lyrics.

Tip

Developing numerous performance skills will help you be viewed as a multi-

faceted, versatile entertainer.

Promote Your Singing 

Online venues created for the purpose of allowing people to share their

talents with a wide international audience present another opportunity for

promoting yourself as a singer and earning a singer salary. Make your own
demos or recordings and put them online. Learn about marketing strategies

that allow you to play to your niche audience. While there is a lot of

competition in these venues, it does offer a fast, inexpensive way to start

getting your voice heard.

Tip

Online sharing platforms are also good for learning about different

techniques of the trade.

It's anticipated that jobs in the music industry will grow at about a six

percent rate through 2026, with online platforms and streaming services

allowing more and more people opportunities to showcase their talents to a

wider audience.

Hire an Agent

Working with a talent agent can help you get yourself in front of

professionals who can potentially help you advance your singing career, find

singing jobs and help you start earning a singer salary. Music producers and

agents have connections in a wide and varied list of singing, song-writing

and recording professionals. If you have what it takes, a good agent can help

you make serious inroads. Research the agents of other singers in genres

similar to yours and reach out to inquire about steps to potential

representation.
Tip

Don't feel compelled to say yes to the first agent who offers to represent

you. Make sure the person has a solid reputation, a proven track record, and

the time to invest in helping you fully cultivate your talent.

Set Realistic Goals

If you've ever watched televised singing competitions, you're well aware of

the fact that while there are many talented singers in the world, only a small

percentage make it into the public spotlight; even then, only an elite few earn

a significant, high-level singer salary for their efforts. In 2017, the average

hourly income for singers was $20 to $30 an hour. Many singers are also

considered independent contractors, and therefore, they don't always have

access to paid retirement or health care benefits.

Tip

It doesn't hurt to cultivate a secondary marketable talent to help you pay the

bills while you work to launch your singing career. Many successful

performers worked their way to fame while waiting tables, working retail or

serving as ride-share drivers.